Trolley-catcher.



PATENTED OCT. 31,1905.

W. W. ANNABLE.

TROLLEY GATGHER. 1

APPLICATION FILED MAR 31, 1905 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WVARREN W. ANNABLE, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO J. WATSON FITZGERALD, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

TROLLEY-CATCHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 31, 1905.

Application filed March 31, 1905. Serial-No. 253,090.

1'0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WARREN W. ANNABLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trolley-Catchers; and I do hereby declare the-following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in trolley-catchers; and its object is to provide means for automatically taking up and giving out the slack of the cord attached to the trolley-pole; to provide automatic means for holding the pole down when the trolley-wheel runs Off the line, and to provide the device with various new and useful features, as hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

My invention consists, essentially, of a traveler mounted on the trolley-pole and freely traversing the same, a gripper adapted to hold the traveler immovable on the pole whenever the trolley-wheel leaves the line, a cord attached to the traveler and extending over a pulley on the pole and thence downward, means for automatically adjusting the attachment of the cord to the traveler, together with various features of construction and arrangement of the device, as will more fully appear by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device embodying my invention; Fig. 2, an enlarged detail of the traveler, shown in side elevation and with one side removed; Fig. 3, a rear elevation of the same, and Fig. 4 a section of the same on the line 4: 4 of Fig. 2.

Like numbers refer to like parts in all of the figures.

The trolley-pole 1, trolley-wheel 2, and linewire 3 are each as usually constructed. A traveler 4 is mounted on the pole and is preferably made of sheet metal U-shape-d in crosssection and provided with supporting-rolls 7 7, journaled in its upper part and rolling freely on the upper side of the pole 1. An underrunning roll 8 is also provided to limit the upward movement of the traveler. Be-

tween this roll and the pole is sufiicient clearance to permit the rear of the traveler to rise enough to engage the gripper 9 with the under side of the pole, and thus hold the traveler immovable on the pole. This gripper is preferably an angular bar arranged transversely of the traveler and presenting one angle to the pole and located a short distance below the same when the roll 7 above it is in contact with the pole. A cord 5 is provided to manipulate the pole and operate the gripper. To yieldingly take up the slack of this cord, it is connected to the traveler and extends over a pulley 6, attached to the pole near the trolley-wheel. To enable the traveler to take up sufficient slack without traversing too far on the pole, and thus to keep the traveler at all times on the lower and larger part of the pole, I prefer to attach the end of the cord near the pulley 6 and extend it around a pulley 13 in the traveler, whereby the traveler moves onlyone-half as far as the length of cord taken up or paid out. This pulley 13 is movable in the traveler toward and from the pole to change the leverage of the cord on the traveler, and for this purpose it is attached to a rod 11, extending across the traveler and provided with flanged rolls 12, which traverse freely in slots 10 in the sides of the traveler. To automatically adjust this rod, I provide a pendulum-weight 17, supported by vertical arms 1 pivoted on a transverse rod 15 in the traveler. From this weight extend horizontal arms 16, having slots through which the rod 11 extends.

In operation when the wheel 2 engages the line-wire 3 the traveler tends to run down the pole, and thus yieldingly takes up the slack of the cord 5. Normally the tension of the cord is not sufficient to tilt the traveler up at the rear; but should the trolley-wheel leave the line the sudden upward movement of the pole will suddenly increase the tension of the cord, and this will at once raise the rear of the traveler and bring the gripper 9 in contact with the under side of the pole with sufiicient force to fix the traveler in place on the pole. This fixing of the traveler will hold the cord, and thus the pole is held down by the cord and will be stopped before the trolley-wheel goes far above the line-wire. The trolley-wheel can be replaced on the line-wire by manipulating the lower part of the cord in the usual way. When the pole is more nearly vertical, as when engaging a higher line-wire, the tendency of the traveler to run down the pole increases, and thus increases the tension on the cord, which might become sufficient to operate the gripper if the point of attachmentis notchanged. So, also, as the pole is lowered a greater leverage is required to enable the cord to tilt and hold the traveler. By the means shown I automatically adjust the attachment of the cord to the traveler, so that as the pole rises the rod 11 rises in the slot and the leverage of the cord is decreased, and as the pole is lowered the rod is lowered in said slots and the said leverage is thus increased. I thereby secure proper operation of the device at various elevations of the pole.

If desirable to release the wheel 2 from the line-wire 3, a sudden pull on the lower end of the cord 5 will at any time fix the traveler on the pole, and it will remain fixed as long as the entire upward strain of the pole is on the cord, and again released as soon as the wheel is engaged and held down by the line-wire. Another obvious advantage is that as the pole is reversed on the car the device is carried with the pole and requires no special care or attention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In combination with a trolley-pole, a traveler movable on the pole, a pulley attached to the pole, and a cord connected to the traveler and engaging the pulley.

2. In combination with a trolley-pole, a traveler moved on the pole by gravity, a pulley attached to the pole, a cord attached to the traveler and engaging the pulley, a grip per on the traveler to engage the pole and operated by increased tension on the cord.

3. In combination with a trolley pole, a traveler movable both longitudinally and transversely of the pole, a gripper in the traveler to engage the pole and hold the traveler, a pulley on the pole and a cord attached to the lower part of the traveler and extending over the pulley.

4. The combination of a trolley-pole, a traveler movable longitudinally and transversely of the pole, a gripper in the traveler to engage the pole and hold the traveler, a pulley on the pole, a cord engaging the pulley and adjustably attached to the traveler, and means for automatically adjusting the attachment of the cord toward and from the pole.

5. The combination of a trolley-pole, atraveler movable longitudinally and laterally of the pole, a rod mounted in the traveler and movable toward and from the pole, a weight pivotally suspended in the traveler, arms connecting the Weight and rod, and a cord attached to the rod and engaging a pulley on the pole.

6. The combination of a trolley-pole, a U- shaped traveler having slots in its sides, rolls supporting the traveler and traversing the upper side of the pole, a gripper in the traveler to engage the lower side of the pole, a rod movable in the slots, a weight pivotally suspended in the traveler, arms on the weights and having slots to receive the rod, and a cord connected to the rod to support and tilt the traveler.

7. The combination of a trolley-pole, a U- shaped traveler having slots in its sides, rolls supporting the traveler and engaging the upper side of the pole, a gripper in the traveler and engaging the under side of the pole, a transverse rod, rolls on the rod and traversing the slots, a pulley attached to the rod, a pulley attached to the pole, a cord attached to the pole near the last-named pulley and extending around both of said pulleys, and means for shifting the rod in the slots, as the inclination of the pole is changed.

8. The combination of a trolley-pole, a traveler movable longitudinally of the pole, a gripper in the traveler to engage the pole, a pulley adjustably attached to the traveler, means for automatically adjusting the pulley, a pulley attached to the pole, and a cord attached to the pole at one end, and extending over both pulleys.

9. The combination of a trolley-pole, a U- shaped traveler having slots in its sides, rolls in the upper part of the traveler and traversing the upper side of the pole, a roll beneath the pole and at a distance therefrom, a gripper beneath the pole, and near the rear of the traveler, flanged rolls traversing the slots, a rod journaled in the rolls, a pulley attached to the rod, a pulley attached to the pole, a cord attached to the pole at one end and engaging both of the pulleys, a weight pivotally suspended in the traveler, and arms on the weight and engaging the rod to adjust the same in the slots.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WARREN W. ANNABLE. 

